


pink in the night

by ZodiacRiver



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 18:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19469479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZodiacRiver/pseuds/ZodiacRiver
Summary: A slow sunset.





	pink in the night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This fic is written for Banana Fish Reverse Big Bang 2019 and I was so happy to be part of it ^w^
> 
> My artist is [Irene](https://eneriables.tumblr.com/), and [this](https://eneriables.tumblr.com/post/186039005064/uwah-heres-my-piece-for-the-banana-fish-big) is the artwork made for my fic!!

Eiji wakes up. He doesn’t open his eyes the instant he knows that he’s awake; he keeps them closed, trying to process reality slowly and one step at a time. He’s still somewhat tired, but his mental clock tells him that it’s almost sunset, and it’s time to wake up and make dinner. He tries to move, only to realize that his body is locked by a pair of arms. Eiji also realizes that the hand holding him is not stationary; the fingers of that hand are brushing his hair, coiling around a few strands and massaging his scalp.

“Eiji, I know you’re awake,” Ash laughs lightly, saying his words in a hushed whisper. When he doesn’t receive an answer from Eiji, he gives him a kiss on the top of his head, hopeful for a reply this time. Eiji opens his eyes instead of his mouth, detaching himself from Ash’s hold to lie on his back. He rubs his eyes and yawns, feeling very content as Ash doesn’t stop from playing with his hair.

“Hi, Ash,” Eiji finally speaks. He feels his throat parched and his voice rough, so he coughs once, twice, and drinks from the full glass on the bedside table. As he shifts his body to the side, he takes a glance at the digital clock, which shows that it’s indeed nearing to sunset, and then at the windows. “You didn’t close the blinds.”

“I just opened it,” Ash says. “So that when you wake up, you can see the sunset.”

It’s a beautiful view outside. Birds fly low and the wind is light, swaying and rustling leaves into a noisy but harmonious song. Eiji can hear Ash moving closer, and he smiles when he feels Ash’s face buried in the crook of his neck, arms around his waist. “Where’s Jade?”

Before Ash can answer, a familiar meow resonates in his ear. “There she is,” Ash gestures at the foot of the bed with his chin. The cat’s body is curled, her tail stretched and her small feet are holding a plush toy slightly bigger than her body.

Jade is of unknown breed, its fur jet black, tail long and its chatoyant, almost fluorescent eyes shine green. They found her a few months after Ash moved in to Japan. She was just a kitten back then, frail and ugly and was left to starve in a cardboard box, but Eiji took her in one evening. Her purrs were weak and dying even when she was brought home, though when Ash fed her milk and rubbed the back of her ear to sleep, her meows the next morning were as happy as ever.

Remembering those precious moments makes Eiji smile. Ash seems to notice his smile and the flood of memories when Eiji sees Jade, and he says, “whose idea was it to name her Jade, again?”

“Mine,” Eiji laughs. “It’s because her eyes are the same shade as yours.”

“She’s pretty, huh.”

“Just like you.”

Ash chuckles against Eiji’s jugular. “Stop that.”

Eiji rolls over, averting his attention from Jade to Ash. Then, he comfortably tugs himself under Ash’s chin, letting his head fall on the pillow. And Ash knows. He cradles him. Eiji breathes in the nice smell of Ash’s shirt; just detergent, scented like chemicals, but still pleasant.

“Ash, Ash,” Eiji speaks, in a quiet whisper and soft mutter. “I really love you.”

It’s a confession that pauses all of Ash’s coherence of time and space, and suddenly, all he knows is that he has Eiji in his arms, saying those words as if it’s the first time all over again. “Eiji,” he replies. In his frank heart, he wants to spill thousands of love confessions, to make sure than Eiji knows all of them, but he can’t seem to say them, no matter what. Not even a simple ‘I love you too’ can do.

“It’s okay,” Eiji assures him, though. “I know. I can feel it.”

Eiji sighs when his ear finds the spot on Ash’s chest, where his heart beats under. Every beat is precious to him. He listens to each pulse, listens as if each one is not going to be followed by another. He feels his own heart beating too, and it beats in rhythm to Ash’s.  _ Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. Dub. _

__

__ “If you want to say something, or do anything at all, then just let me know,” Eiji tells him. It’s his turn to brush Ash’s hair. He does it carefully, each caress calculated and gentle, as though going a little more than that would hurt Ash.

“I don’t want to say anything,” Ash states in a flat tone, but reassuring. “I just want you here – want you around.”

“Mn. Forever?”

“Forever, Eiji, please.”

“Forever, it is,” Eiji snuggles closer, hearing Ash’s steady breathing more clearly. Eiji has never been a dreamer, at least not so much, but right now, the moment feels like a dream. He wants to capture the light in Ash’s eyes, and his small smile, and the light-accentuated part of his cheeks, where tiny freckles are, although almost zilch in number, visible to Eiji’s eyes, from the angle where he sees him. Eiji wants to keep all of these in mind; he wants to remember every part of Ash, every substance of him. His memory isn’t photographic, but he knows that, in remembering Ash, it’s effortless.

“You are a really memorable person, Ash,” for a second, Eiji doesn’t realize that he’s been saying out loud. When Ash doesn’t answer, probably confused by that puzzling statement, he says, “I was thinking about how much I want to remember you for the rest of my life. I guess that, had I not wanted to keep you in mind, you still adhere there.”

Ash still doesn’t reply. Instead, he presses his lips onto Eiji’s forehead. The kiss lingers for a few seconds, and Eiji doesn’t resist. “That’s so sweet, Eiji. You’re always so full of sweet things. I love that about you.”

“So are you,” Eiji pecks him on the chin. “Hey, Ash, let’s make some tea. Then, we can cook dinner. I’m kind of starving.”

Eiji arrives at the kitchen first. Ash follows, leaning against the counter as Eiji makes tea.

They never own tea bags. They never drink what people would call ‘British-oriented’ tea. Not Earl Grey, English Breakfast, not even the flowery or fruity types like chamomile or strawberry. Only green tea powder. The bitterest one too; at first, Ash didn’t like it, because it’s bitter and tastes weird with sugar, but after drinking it a few times due to Eiji’s coercion, he’s able to find it tolerable, if not good. It reminds him of Eiji – the taste, the smell, the freshness. When Eiji pours steaming hot water into the cup, the familiar scent diffuses in the kitchen. Ash inhales it, feeling himself relax.

“Here you go,” Eiji hands over one of the cups to Ash. “Careful, it’s still hot. Blow it over before you drink.”

“You know I like my tea scalding,” Ash chides, but blows over it anyway. “Should we play some music?” he asks, a sudden question, probably the first one to cross his mind. Music sounds fitting to the atmosphere, but Eiji tilts his head and looks at him as if he just said something silly.

“Music? Why?”

“To make time slower,” Ash elaborates. A smile dangles on the curves of his lips. Time is slow in moments like this. It’s the perfect pace, just enough for Ash to enjoy it. Eiji enjoys it too. He likes how being with Ash means all vestige of the chronological life simply disappears; everything becomes the present, there is no trace of past and future—only now.

“Any time at sunset is slow.”

And it’s true. Sunset is still on its way, slowly, but sure, changing the hues of the sky from one shade to another. The sky is a blanket of magenta and pale pink, where the sun, whose light is starting to fade, still insists to illuminate the whitewashed clouds, persisting to exists and create a scenic view from behind the horizon. As scenic as the melted green of Ash’s eyes, the gentle look of his face.

“You’re right.”

Ash puts down the empty cup on the counter, and a few seconds later, Eiji follows. Now they don’t have anything anymore in hand – except for each other – and Eiji asks a question that proposes an idea of what to do next, “Ash, can you dance?”

“Dance, huh,” he mutters. “Not really, no. My body is too stiff for that.”

“Not so elegant, are you?”

“Not at all.”

Eiji takes ahold of Ash’s hand. “then, why don’t we practice?”

“You want to dance?” Ash laughs. “Tango? Salsa? Or ballet? Were you a dance teacher before? I’m pretty sure you’re flexible enough to be a dancer, so be my teacher, Eiji.”

“Everyone can dance waltz,” Eiji says.

“Woah, waltz? The ballroom dance? At least, I can’t. It’s just, how do I say it – not tough…Eiji, can you help me fetch the word?”

“Strict?”

“Yup, that’s it. It takes elegance and complicated steps, and just not fun, you know? Both sides always look so stern.”

“Well, we can make it fun,” smiling, Eiji shifts closer to Ash, and now they are only a gap away from each other. He stands on his tips, and kisses Ash on the lips. A simple and slow, careful and deliberate press of lips on lips; and, for the two, it feels unworldly nice—fresh, raw, like warm sunlight, like endless sunset outside. Ash probably doesn’t realize that his hands have circled themselves around Eiji’s waist, grasping the hem of his shirt, holding him there so that he doesn’t stumble, and, when Ash notice so, he smiles against the kiss.

“Can we make it romantic, too?” Ash asks in a hushed whisper. His heart seems to beat faster than usual for no reason. It’s just Eiji. So why is he so excited? So happy?

“Of course, Ash.”

They begin to dance. One of Eiji’s hand is on Ash’s shoulder and the other one is holding his hand, their fingers gently intertwining in a gentle hold, their skins lightly touching, and their souls – their hearts mingling. At first, they don’t even move. Just staying, standing there like that, feeling each other’s presence, hearing each other’s bated breaths, and, when they lock eyes, they move.

Ash presses his forehead against Eiji’s, just a barely-there touch. Then, Eiji brings his hand up, placing it on Ash’s cheek, thumb caressing the skin under his eye. It must be Ash’s chuckle, the way the corners of his eyes crinkle as he does so, that drops Eiji’s heart. he can feel his chest tightening, not because he’s worried or upset – he’s so far from all that – but because he’s so, so happy.

It’s almost like a scene from a fairytale, if only the dance weren’t done in the kitchen. The space is cramped, and there are furniture around, and they don’t have a lot of floor to move on, but nothing stops them. Sunset is still on her way, as slow as ever, shining the now orange light on their figures through the window. There is just the two of them. No one else, nothing else to interfere. Except one.

Jade circles her small body around Eiji’s ankle, forcing EIji to stop his steps, and look down and smile. She rubs her head against his skin for a few seconds, before purring in content and walking away. “She loves you,” Ash says through a grin.

“Not sure about that. She hates it when I touch her first, and she never wants to eat when I’m the one giving the bowl. But she definitely loves you the most,” Eiji answers. “And I definitely love you the most, Ash.”

“ _ Eiji _ .”

“You are so loved,” he states. “Jade and I love you. You are our precious one.”

“Ah, Eiji, that’s too sweet for me to handle,” Ash laughs. The blush on his face is an obvious case, completely visible to the eyes. “How sappy can you be?”

“This sappy,” then Eiji kisses the tip of his nose, to which he gets another laugh in return.

“Stop that!”

“Ash, there is something I must tell you,” he says again, suddenly and out of nowhere, right after Ash spins him around once. Seeing Ash’s change of expression and worried face, Eiji laughs, holding his cheeks with both of his hands, “don’t look so surprised. Do you think I will say something bad?”

Ash glances down. His ears, Eiji notices, are pink. “Of course not,” he smiles. “You always say the loveliest of all things. How could I think that you’d say something bad? I know that you’d never hurt me, Eiji.”

Eiji returns the smile. “Of course,” he echoes. “What I wanted to say what that, you’re truly great, Ash. I – can’t stop looking at you.”

Ash replies by pressing his forehead against Eiji’s harder, and then, he can’t hold back a laugh. He even has to stop his steps for a while because his chest heaves and his shoulders quake. “Eiji!” he exclaims in between his chuckles. “You really are – a sweetheart. You’re spoiling me too much with those words. It’s about time you drop it, and let me be the one doing it.”

“Mm, then, I’d love to hear it, Ash.”

But Ash, in truth, is in loss of words. He doesn’t know what to say, or what to tell Eiji. Eiji as a person is complicated, and, even with Ash’s great mind, he doesn’t know how to peel his layers. As much as a smart talker he is, all the words seem to hang in his tongue every time he wants to say just how much of a wonder Eiji is.

He loves Eiji, more than he could think, more than both of them could think, but every time he wants to speak from the heart, he finds it hard to say.

And Eiji understands.

“They are hard to say, huh?” Eiji whispers. “It’s okay. I know. I always know. You don’t have to say anything. Let’s just dance.”

They do – and all the while, neither speaks anymore. What is there to say? There is nothing to speak of, because both Ash and Eiji know what they want, what they need from each other, only through glances of eyes. And this time, all they crave is for this moment to not end. For the dance to continue, for the intimacy of the gesture to never cease.

It’s Ash who breaks the silence, “I find it difficult to speak out my mind sometimes,” he says. Eiji put a finger on his lips.

“Hush. Didn’t I say you don’t have to say anything? I know, Ash. I know how tough it is, often times. But you don’t have to say it. Because I know,” once Eiji assures him this way, Ash feels that his mind is calm once again.

“I feel like glowing right now,” Ash speaks, the tone of his voice tinted with childlike hopefulness, dreamy around the edges. “Glowing pink and warm, so then maybe your heart can be, too.”

“My heart is pink and warm enough for you,” Eiji replies, looking at Ash with all the fondness of his heart.

“Is this what you dreamed of?” Ash asks him. Eiji looks up at him through his lashes, curious at the puzzling question. So Ash repeats it, albeit this time, he just calls out his name, “Eiji.”

“You are what I dreamed of.”

Then, at that moment, Ash feels himself crying.

It happens in a flash. First he feels his eyes burning, his throat clenching and then, there are tears in his eyes, and he’s unable to control it. Tears come out in uncontrollable stream; each drop feels so warm. He’s shaking, not knowing how to talk and can only hang on by grasping Eiji’s shoulders.

He’s the tough Ash, the strong, iron Ash, but vulnerability is still part of him; and around Eiji, he’s not afraid to express it.

And Eiji, as always, knows. Understands.

“I love you, I love you so much,” Ash loses all trace of coherence, and the next he knows is that he’s repeating this to Eiji like a zealous prayer, sobbing and crying his heart out.

“I love you too,” Eiji says. “I love you so much too. You don’t need to worry about anything. You’re safe, you’re happy. You’re okay.”

“I’m so – happy. So, so happy. Eiji, I’m really happy. I love you, and I’m really happy.”

“Mhm. Ash,” Eiji wipes away the tears on his face with the back of his hand. “Never forget, that no matter when, I’ll surely be beside you. That’s why we are here now. Blown by the same wind, living at the same time.”

“Ah, I’m just so happy right now,” Ash chokes back more tears by laughing. And after that, he can’t stop the smile. He smiles as Eiji kisses him, smiles as their fingers lock in each other’s.

The sun has just said good-bye to the sky, and now it’s the moon’s turn to hang up there. The sky has given up all of its light and has surrendered to darkness, and the kitchen, dimmer than before, is no longer illuminated and lit with such brightness.

“No more sunset,” Ash chuckles.

“That’s okay. There’s always tomorrow,” Eiji answers, putting a hand on Ash’s hand and ruffling and untangling his hair. “Every end of sunset brings a new day.”

“Yeah. Yeah. You’re right,” Ash smiles at him. Eiji is smiling too.

“We started the dance with a kiss,” Eiji says, then stands on his toes to lean closer and brush his lips against Ash’s. “We should end it with a kiss too.”

“Please, Eiji, stop being so sweet,” he takes his face in his hands. “I can’t take it. If you don’t stop, I’ll cry again.”

Eiji only laughs.

“Eiji, I want to gaze at you forever.”

“Forever?”

“Forever, Eiji, please.”

**Author's Note:**

> Say hi to me on Twitter~ [icryoverships](https://twitter.com/Icryoverships)


End file.
